Younger Americans May Not Be Wedded to Democracy

(TotalConservative.com) – A major worldwide survey found that although most people still prefer it, young people are less enthusiastic about the political system of democracy and more open to other options.

The international survey included 30 different countries. Overall, the survey found that 86% of the total respondents preferred living in a democracy if they had a choice, while 20% believe authoritarianism is a better option to provide for the wants and needs of citizens.

The surprising part of the survey is what was discovered about the respondents between 18 and 35 years old, of which only 57% felt that democracy was the most preferable form of government. Contrast that number to 71% of respondents over the age of 56 who prefer democracy. Forty-two percent of young folks also said they would support military rulership, whereas only 20% of older respondents agreed.

The survey was conducted and published by Open Society Foundations (OSF), a donor network funded by the controversial philanthropist and billionaire George Soros. The report also discovered that over a third of young people (35%) felt that a “strong leader” with absolute power and unelected is “a good way” to govern a nation. The president of OSF, Mark Malloch Brown, who used to be deputy secretary general for the United Nations, described the results as “alarming.” According to Brown, although “people around the world” still hold onto a belief in it, faith in the system of democracy “to deliver concrete changes” seems to be fading “generation by generation.”

The survey also questioned respondents about how concerned they were about what direction their country was heading in, as well as issues like human rights, poverty, inequality, climate change, and corruption. More than half of respondents felt their country wasn’t heading in a good direction, and roughly a third said that they believe politicians aren’t working in the best interests of citizens.

This isn’t the first study to show such results. A study from Cambridge in 2020 found that the Millennial generation is the most “disillusioned” with democracy.